Bursting the bio-bubble: England to stay in ‘team environment’ for positivity

England have opted to go with the title ‘team environment’ for their COVID-19-safe zone instead of ‘bio-bubble’ when they gathers at the end of this month for a home Test series against New Zealand. According to reports in British media, the change in name has been done to avoid negative connotation of the term ‘bio-bubble’ and to make team camp a relaxed place to live.

Though the bio-bubble won’t be as strict as the one last summer as restrictions are being lifted across the United Kingdom, the two teams will still be limited to grounds and hotels during the Test series that begins on June 2.

“Despite a two-month gap since the end of the India Test series — and the likely absence of players who took part in the recent Indian Premier League and are currently in quarantine — Chris Silverwood’s coaching staff and the squad will still be urged to start referring to the ‘team environment’ instead of the ‘bubble’,” The Guardian newspaper reported. “It is a small change but one that is hoped will help them collectively move on from a testing 12-month period that included the white-ball team pulling out of three ODIs in South Africa when panicked by an outbreak of COVID-19 in the team hotel and saw a psychologist taken on tour in the subcontinent.”

The England players had to adhere to strict norms last summer in the bio-secure environment. They had to dine at separate tables in the hotel restaurant and even wear rubber gloves to eat.